My Railway series
by manmonkey6
Summary: I've decided to make some stories of my own since the original railway series has ended for now, these stories are a tribute to the Rev .W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry two great men who wouldn't of made these stories possible ENJOY : !
1. Gordon and the diesels

**High Speeds**

Gordon was boasting in the yard about being the only engine to pull the express on the island of Sodor, "No on is as fast as me". He would always say, "If Mallard didn't set the land speed record" "Yes we heard it" James groaned impatiently "You would be the worlds fast's engine" Henry then added on. Gordon didn't know what to say, but all he did was blew steam at the engines and puffed away furiously.

"How dare them" Gordon grumbled to himself as he journeyed of to the station, "Talk to me like that" but as he was still bickering, the signal dropped. "What is this?" Gordon asked himself as he was slowing down, "It's a signal" His driver said "we have to stop". Now Gordon was waiting impatiently as the signal was still up, "Come on change" Gordon bellowed out in fury, "calm down" Said Gordon's fireman "we just stopped, it's just a matter of time before the signal changes". Gordon waited at the signal for a few minutes which to him seemed like an eternity, but then……….VOOM! A high speed diesel engine sped past Gordon "Goodness gracious, what's that?" then another High speed diesel engine flew past Gordon in a lightning flash! "Look's like two new diesel engines" his Driver said and Gordon's heart sank.

Gordon backed up to his coaches at Knapford station and saw the two diesel engines; together they were an Intercity High Speed train, Gordon just grunted at them hoping to get their attention but it was no use, the diesels continued to adore the popularity as they were photographed, talked to and touched, Gordon felt left out, he was still sad as he rolled away with the express.

Later that night he went home to his sheds seeing the two diesels sitting right next to him, "Now" Gordon started "I want to know who you are, why you are here and why are you sleeping here", the diesel on the left began to speak " I am Terry. And we are here to take the Fat Controller and his family on a long train run around the island all the way to London" Terry's voice was filled with regal. "And I'm Kenny" Said the diesel in the far right. "And we are sleeping hear because some of your old chaps let us sleep here." Gordon couldn't believe what he was seeing, two diesels showing up out of nowhere and taking the fat controller to London instead of Gordon.

**Fiery Red**

It had been a whole day since Terry and Kenny showed up, and Gordon had already despised the two diesels. Gordon was waiting for the Fat Controller to give him his jobs. "Gordon, I have three jobs for you" The Fat Controller announced, "First you must pull a goods train, then you must shunt freight cars in the yard and finally, you have to deliver five Tankers of fuel to the depot". Gordon was speechless not only did he have to pull trucks but he had to also shunt in the yard.

Gordon was grumbling as he pulled into a siding with the dirty freight. "Good work", said a workman "Now you must shunt trucks in the sidings" Gordon's just moaned as he banged, biff and smash the trucks in the sidings, the trucks mounded and groaned, later James rolled up to him, "Gordon your late" James said to Gordon "OF CAUSE I'M LATE!" Gordon screamed out like a siren, "I'm not good at shunting", James pondered, "I know Gordon, how about you take a rest and I'll take your fuel". Gordon just smiled at James as he rolled away to get his fuel tankers.

Gordon was getting a nice long rest until the fire siren screeched,

"What's happening?" Gordon yelled out confused about what happening "A fire", Fredrick the fire engine said "it's along the country side, if we don't hurry" Fredrick said "soon the entire forest will be engulfed with flames", Gordon asked if he can do anything to help and Fredrick Told him that he can take the other workmen.

James was derailed near a field where cattle were grazing; Terrence was trying to heard the cattle away from the flames.

Gordon and the fire engines rolled up near the inferno, "Don't worry James" Jeffery yelled out to James "We'll get you out".

Later that night James was at the repair yards getting his burned repaired when Gordon rolled up beside him. "What happened James?" Gordon whispered in Question, "I don't know all I remember is a loud bang behind me and the next thing I know I'm falling off the rails in an Explosion". Gordon didn't know what to think, but something told him it had something to do with Terry & Kenny.

**Clink, Clonk, Clank**

It had been day's since the fire incident, and all the engines where still shaken, James however was scarred by the event's and never felt the same way ever since.

Bill and Ben where asking him what happened but James rolled away in silence.

Even Kenny and Terry where concerned about James. They where about to comfort him until Gordon Rolled up. "You have some nerve, Setting James's trucks ablaze, you should be ashamed of" "but we didn't do anything" Terry interrupted. "If we did do anything why would we? It just not right" Kenny added "Don't think that would work with me" Gordon then wheeshed steam at them "I am a smart engine, unlike Thomas, Percy and the other tank engines I am one of the smartest engines on the island. Now if you excuse me I've got a date with some express coaches" and Gordon rolled away in a cloud of steam.

Gordon rolled up to his express coaches furiously and banged them, the coaches groaned in pain but Gordon didn't care. The guard blew her whistle and Gordon rolled away.

As Gordon was going around the hillside, Terry & Kenny zoomed past, "Hello Gordon" Terry said "Goodbye Gordon" Kenny said after and a few seconds later Terry & Kenny were out of sight.

Now Gordon was fuming, "I'll beat them at there own game", Gordon snarled with foam oozing out of his mouth and picked up speed.

He thundered past a field were some cows where grazing, Gordon's loud puffing and booming whistle startled the cattle and the chooks were so scared, that they died.

As Gordon went faster he began to feel strange.

Then with a clink smoke was billowing out of him so much, he looked like a cloud. Then with a clonk, his brakes were automatically shut on and with a loud clank his coaches banged each other so hard that his passengers spilt there tea, choked on there tea cakes and whiplashed there necks.

Gordon was stuck, he couldn't move, he had to be pulled to the next station by the works diesel.

At the repair yards, Gordon was getting examined. Until Smokey Joe rolled beside him, "What were you thinking" Smokey Joe asked "Thinking you can out run a high speed diesel? Are you nuts?" Gordon just ignored him and pretended to go to sleep.

**Just in time**

Soon Gordon was fixed and much better and was about to go home to tidmouth until Terry and Kenny rolled up to him. "That was some nasty accident" said Terry "your boiler could have exploded" Kenny added, Gordon wasn't taking their concern. "Listen you two diesels from Hades; you may have the other engines fooled but not me. I'm going to show you what a big engine can do" Gordon said sternly, and rolled away.

On the big day, Terry and Kenny were getting ready to set off to London with the fat controller everyone was excited, Thomas, Percy & Edward were in sidings to see the diesels drive off. The guard blew his whistle and the diesels set off.

They were making good time as well. The fat controller and Lady Hatt were enjoying their tea and biscuits; they startled horses and cows as they whooshed past, Terry and Kenny enjoyed the breeze on their faces and the coaches enjoyed rolling at over 100mph.

Soon they left the island of sodor and were in unknown territories. But they set on until "BANG" went Terry and soon they started to slow down, "OH NO" yelled Kenny, he wasn't strong enough to push two coaches and Terry to London, he had no choice but to stop.

The fat controller was concerned, "Topham dear, we need to get out of her fast" said Lady Hatt. "I'll send Gordon".

When Gordon found out about this he couldn't wait to rub it in Terry and Kenny's faces. Soon he got their and could only laugh "Ha ha ha, now theirs a pretty sight. Two fast diesels stuck in the middle of nowhere and need MY help of getting you home" "Now Gordon, you mush get us to London on one hour" said the fat controller. "I will sir".

Later Gordon puffed in to London and was surprised to a huge crowd, bigger that anything he'd ever seen before. "Good work Gordon" said the stationmaster, "you came here just in time" "I know that" said Gordon to himself. When he came back to the Island of Sodor he was even more surprised to see all of the engines waiting at the station "THREE CHEERS FOR GORDON" they yelled "hip hip hurray. Hip hip hurray" and the engines never heard of Terry and Kenny again.


	2. Tram engines

**Tram engines**

Thomas was in tidmouth sheds waiting for the fat controller to tell him the news. "Maybe I'll get to pull a special train" He thought to himself "or maybe I'll get to pull some VERY special visitors" but his daydreaming was interrupted when the fat controller showed up. "Thomas, a visitor has arrived on the island and you must show him around" Said the fat controller Thomas just beamed proudly and went to the docks.

Thomas felt special as he set off to the docks to find the visitor, but when he arrived he saw him. He was on a flatbed and he looked splendid, he was a tram engine just like Toby, but he was made of steel and a metal device was sticking out of his roof, Thomas was very surprised. He rolled up to the visitor and said "Hi" "Hello" said the visitor "I'm Dave" "and I'm Thomas, please to meet you Dave" Thomas got a closer look at Dave and saw that he had some coaches attached to him, he was sort of a mixture of a Diesel railcar and a Tram engine, Thomas was most surprised.

Dave just smiled and said "I see you're not used to engines like me" "No" Said Thomas, "Well let me explain" and Dave started talking, "you see you run on coal and water, I run on electricity, this device above my head is connected to some wires hanging above us. This device absorbs the electricity from the cables and travels threw to our engine which gives us the power to move" Thomas was puzzled "But my Friend Toby doesn't run on electricity" said Thomas and Dave started again "Your friend Toby is an old fashioned engine right?" "Right" "well we run on electricity because it's more powerful then coal, doesn't hurt the environment and it's more safe to our surroundings" Thomas then looked at Dave.

"What do you mean surroundings?" "Ah you see your railway is on its own, it goes around the country side. But OUR railway is with the road, our rails are built in the asphalt so we roll around with the cars stopping at every traffic light and stopping at every station right near the road. We're like banana buses on rails" he then finished, but Thomas had SO many more questions to ask. "What happens when you go fast?" "Oh no, we're not allowed to go fast; our curves are so sharp we have to go show around them. And if you tried to go fast around the curves you'll be in danger of toppling on your side and hurting you passengers". "Do you get enough long runs?" Thomas asked "our railway is in the city and not only that; we have bridges which elevate us trams above the roads. So we get long runs on or off the road". Thomas asked what he was going here. "Well you see, I was sent to Crewe to be repair after lightning struck my electricity carrier. Please tell me where am?" Thomas said proudly "You're on the Island of Sodor" "Well I'm almost home" he said and Thomas knew he was going to like this Tram.

**Princess**

Dave was talking to Thomas, who had now pushed him into the siding. Thomas just loved to hear about his interesting railway he runs on. "Every morning" said Dave "they would do maintenance on us. They'd test our brakes and accelerators to see of there was something wrong with us, and if there was, another tram would take our jobs for the day while we were mended". Thomas just loved hearing about Dave and his daily routines. "Do you have any trams?" Dave asked, "Only Toby but he's an old fashioned tram" said Thomas with a smile "what about engines that carry passengers in side their frame?" "Well…" Thomas's thoughts trailed off as a diesel railcar rolled up beside them "there is only one, and here she is. This is Daisy". Daisy looked at Dave and shuddered "What is this" she asked "I'm Dave" "A low life is what you are, your not fit to be seen near me" Daisy spat and rolled away. Thomas apologised, "no need for an apologue" said Dave.

"Their once was someone at my old railway who acted like that. Her name was Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Fourth" "That's a huge mouth full" Said Thomas, "yes it was, you were bound to stuff up at princess, but soon her name was changed to Princess". "I bet that went to her head" said Thomas "Yes it did" said Dave "she thought that she was a higher ranking tram but we were all equal. She thought that she deserved better and didn't want to go through maintenance, but the workman told her. _It doesn't matter what rank you are, you're still able to get bugs in your system._"

Thomas was amazed that someone could have been that arrogant. "She thought that she will never get bugs in her system so early in the morning, she work up very early, she saw that the workers wouldn't come for another 13 minutes. Then she had an idea "If I slip out, I wouldn't have to go through maintenance" so, silently the rolled out of the sheds hoping not to wake anyone up. She went up a bridge and needed more strength so she sped up and saw a station ahead she tried to slowdown but couldn't, she tried to put on her brakes but couldn't. She rolled right past the station and saw the bridge slope down to ground level, as she went down the bridge and picked up speed. She rocketed along the line and saw the line swerve left, she couldn't stop, she toppled over at the curve and landed on her side and blocked the road" Thomas was shocked "w-what happened to her?" Thomas asked "she was shipped away on a garbage barge we never saw her again".

Thomas raised his eyebrows in disbelief and just at that moment, Daisy was pushed into the sidings by Percy "what happened Daisy?" Thomas teased "I didn't have my engine checked, it over heated and I broke down" Thomas and Dave couldn't help but laugh, Daisy didn't get the joke but laugh with them as well.

**Roller Coaster**

Dave came to the island of sodor to get shipped back to his home, but the ship wasn't scheduled to come until tomorrow, so he had to stay over night. He wasn't lonely, Salty agreed to stay with him over night. Salty was telling his story's about the sea, "You have a very interesting passion about the sea" said Dave "aye captain, my entire life is about the sea" "well my entire life is about giving my passengers a smooth ride" said Dave, "but there was one tram who didn't feel the same way". "His name was Paul, he was smaller that the other trams, that made him feel important for some reason. I'm sure he meant well but he did put his passengers risk in front of his own" Salty asked how "he would roll carelessly around the track giving the passengers a bumpy ride." Salty then asked if anything happened to him "well he did" "how" asked Salty, "well it was during the vacation times and we were over worked but not Paul he got their right on time"

"Now trams" said Mr. Reginald, "summer is almost here, and I want Paul too take the vacationers to the beach islands. That is all" Me and my good mate Alastair tried to tell him to go slow, "Pah, what's good going slow and way? It waists time and it is vary boring" "It maybe boring" said Alastair "But it's safe, and the passengers will have a smooth ride from you for once" but Paul just snorted and rolled away to collect his passengers.

You see our line goes a couple of miles into the sea where some sand islands are, that is the special attraction. And the sand islands are very bouncy so sensible trams go slow around those parts but Paul didn't. "What happened?" asked Salty "well…"

"Paul was racing to the sand island only slowing down at the bends because he didn't want to topple. He soon got the long bridge which spreads out to the open sea, he picked up speed and on no time at all, he got to the first station and felt good about himself. "This isn't bouncy, those Trams just want to waist my time and get me late" but the rough but was into the island not around it. So he set off going fast and furious around the track stopping at every station to pick up and set down passengers."

"And then came the best part"

"What could be the best part about that captain?" Salty asked

"Well…"

"Paul was getting more into the sand island and the track was getting more and more uneven. "Thes doesn't feel good" but he wasn't looking where he was going and saw a station a head, he slammed on his breaks but slid past and went down a tunnel. The tunnel went down and swerved from left to right, Paul saw this and realised "this could be an energetic experience" he thought to himself and when the last passenger got on bored he raced down the narrowing tunnel getting faster and faster, he turned unexpectedly as the tunnel then shot up and he thought that he would fly out of the tunnel and land into the sea, he was getting scared and then he finally got out of the tunnel and raced across the bridge to get home. His passengers were in a state of shock as well as Paul so they didn't know what to think. One of the passengers pressed a button telling Paul to stop at the next station. When Paul got to the next station the passengers buzzed out like buzzing bees and then Paul raced back to his shed and didn't come out for the rest of the week."

By now Dave's story had been heard by everyone near by, but he didn't know that.

"Did he ever come out" asked Salty "He did, but he never took any passengers to the Sand Island ever again" Salty was surprised at that but then dawn broke and in a couple of hours, Dave was going home.

**Lights Down**

Dave was getting ready to go home to his railway and saw Thomas puffing in all tired and exhausted. "What happened to you?" asked Dave "Well I had to do a late shift, I only had 2 hours of sleep" said Thomas who was tired and cranky "your lucky to have any sleep, we rarely get any sleep" said Dave, "we run night shifts nearly every day and night. So we are basically tired all the time" "Doesn't the lake of sleep effect you at all?" asked Thomas, "No it doesn't, but we do need a rest every once in a while" said Dave "and we do need to be fitted new lights every once in a while". "Why new lights?" asked Thomas "well we are on night shift almost every day so our lights tend to short out leaving us blind" Thomas was interested by this and asked "did your light burn out while on late shifts?" "Well not me, but my friend Alastair did, in fact I remember that very day…"

"It was in the morning and Alastair was fitted new lights for his late shift. He looked smart "I'm on doing a late tonight, and I'm taking passengers to the sand islands" he said "well good luck with that" I then said and he rolled away proudly.

All was going well for him and he made good time and the passengers were proud of him until, some naughty boys were on a top station with some stones, then a Alastair pulled up the boys threw stones at Alastair and smashed his head lights.

Everyone climbed out to inspect the damage, "it doesn't look good" said his driver, "I don't think we can repair the lights in time" "well I'll just have to do with out them" "you can't" said his Driver "you can't see in the dark" "then I'll just have to use the street light then" but the sand islands didn't have street lights but Alastair didn't realised that until he got there, it was pitch black and Alastair couldn't see where he was going, he had to rely on his bell to guide him and that didn't help really. He was getting scared "Where am I going to come out?" he asked him self as he past unfamiliar surroundings "Where am I going?" he asked himself and then he went into the tunnel that swerved up and down he suddenly went down and got a big fright as he didn't know where he was and then he got back home.

"That was scary" he said. "I don't want to go through that again" but then the workmen came in and fitted Alastair with new head lights, he never got scared on the sand islands again".

And then the ship pulled up and the coast guard yelled out "We're here for a Dave, is there a Dave here?" "Well here is my ride. It's been wonderful meeting everyone here and I hope to see you again someday" Dave announced as Cranky hoisted him up and loaded him on the cruiser. Everyone looked on as the ship left with a new friend on bored and something told the engines that they will see him again, someday.


	3. Smokey Joe

**The lonely shunter**

Smokey Joe is a small 4 wheeled tank engine, he is coloured black with his name written in crude letters but he doesn't mind.

He works as a shunting engine shunting coaches in the yard. He doesn't have much fun, unlike trucks you can't bump them, they're too delicate, and he found it dull.

One day he was shunting coaches in the yard when the fat controller came up to him.

"Smokey Joe" he said "I need you to come and help Thomas' branch line, he is finding work harder". Smokey Joe agreed and the little old engine puffed towards Thomas' branch line.

As he trundled to Thomas' branch line he came upon Gordon's hill and he stopped.

"Come on" said his driver "Just get over this hill and you'll be over their in no time" but Joe wasn't too confident. He was old and spent most of his time in the shunting yards and didn't get a long enough run, his accelerator was faulty and didn't do well and when he used to much steam at once, he'd breakdown and roll down and cause an accident but anyway he tried, he tried and tried and tried but he started to feel the strain on his wheels getting stronger and stronger, he struggled as he turned his wheels but then he realised, he was at the top.

He sighed and let out a whoosh of steam. Then he descended and rolled down easily feeling the wind in his funnel made him smile.

Smokey Joe wheeshed in as he went up to maithwaite station where he met Thomas.

"Hello" said Thomas "Hello" Smokey Joe said back, he was quite shy "I'm here to help you on your branch line" "Thank you, I could use a rest" said Thomas and they went their separate directions.

Smokey Joe started at the start of the line, where he cleaned tracks for Thomas to go on, he liked it getting out of the sidings helping another engine with out getting their coaches. As he rolled along the line he noticed a switch track where. Switch tracks are used for when another engine is needed to go on another line, the signalman pulls a lever and the switch track sends the engine to the other track.

Smokey Joe noticed this and told his driver, the driver told the work men and the workmen told the yard manager, "Cut away the branches and trees" said the yard manager "and see where the track leads". So they pointed the track in Smokey Joes direction and they cut away the branches and Smokey Joe followed the track.

The track wasn't very long, it was only one mile long to be precise until it came to another switch track. One track led to a shed, and the other led to a siding. The workmen came to the shed and opened it and got a BIG surprise. "Theirs coaches in here!" "what?" "There is, come here see for yourself" so the manager did, and got a big surprise when he saw the coaches, they were sleeping peacefully and quietly as if they weren't in an abandoned shed. They made a plan. First they coupled Smokey Joe to the coaches but the sudden jolt woke the front coach up "oh who are you? A vandal? QUICK ELIZA WAKE UP THERE IS SOMEONE ROBBING US" "Oh dear, take Mirgrace she's a break van" "hey" the coaches were female "girls, girls" said Smokey Joe, "I'm not a vandal, vandals break and smash things, I'm here to get you out of this horrible place". And the coaches beamed from buffer to buffer.

Smokey Joe pulled out of the bushes as Thomas was about to pass them, he pinned on his breaks just in time.

Smokey Joe told him about the coaches he found and how they where going to restore them to their natural state.

Smokey Joe took the coaches to the works to be mended and after fifteen hours they were beautiful, in crimson paint and yellow strips and their wheels were polished, they were smart. Then at that point the fat controller showed up. "Smokey Joe, these coaches you found WILL be a grand exception to our railway" "thank you sir" Smokey Joe said "and as a reward" continued the fat controller "I have decided to give these coaches to you" and at that point Smokey Joe burst out with cheers and whistles, the coaches were happy too until the fat controller spoke again. "I have been told that your parts are warned out, so you need to go to the works to be mended" then Smokey Joe went sadder as he got his new coaches but didn't get to use them, but then thought that it'll help him pull his new coaches, and this made him happy.

**Fowling hard**

Smokey Joe went to the works, leaving his coaches Eliza and Isabella and his break van Mirgrace, they were very sad to see Joe go, but the fat controller had a message for them. "Since Smokey Joe left us for a short time, I had rented an engine to do his work for a while, he'll also be pulling you three" the coaches didn't like that and as soon as the fat controller left they started complaining, "I want Smokey Joe to pull us" Eliza moaned, "This new engine will NEVER have the characteristics that Joe has" Isabella ranted on but Mirgrace didn't think that at all and the began to talk, "You know Eliza and Isabella this engine might do a good job at pulling us, he might be kind and thoughtful so please don't judge a book by it's title" said Mirgrace and Eliza and Isabella thought she had made a good point until the engine arrived. He was a Fowler 4F BR tender engine; he had only six medium size wheels and a quite small tender, he sniffed when he saw the coaches "Hmm, if I knew I was going to pull branch line coaches I would have stayed in my dirty old siding". The coaches were offended, "How dare he" Mirgrace said "He's not fit to pull us" Eliza ranted back, "What do you think of him now Mirgrace?" Isabella asked "he should be hauled to the scrap yard" Mirgrace said still offended.

The fat controller showed up, "now Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace, this is Charlie, I have rented him from the other railway, as long as Smokey Joe is away he'll be here" and the fat controller went home for tea. Charlie looked at the coaches again and said in a rude way "Come here, so I can get this over with and I don't have to deal with you three again" and now the coaches were very annoyed. "Let's push him off the rails" said Isabella, "yes, that'll teach him to be rude to us" Eliza said in return usually Mirgrace would be the voice of reason to Eliza and Isabella, but she was so cross with Charlie that she agreed as well, so they made a plan.

Charlie pulled into the first station and the passengers got in quickly, the plan was to push Charlie down the hill and crash but they needed to wait till they got to the hill before carrying out their plan.

The line they travelled on goes on a slope that goes downwards, it isn't a dangerous slope but a sharp turn is what makes it dangerous so trains aren't supposed to go down those lines fast but Charlie didn't know this and the coaches knew this and took this as an advantage.

As the train went down the slope the coaches pushed "on on" they yelled as they pushed the train down the hill Charlie tried to put on his breaks but they weren't applying properly he came off the rails at the sharp turn and ran straight into a bush. Charlie laid on his side looking at the ground shamefully, the driver checked to see that no one was hurt while the fireman checked on Charlie. "Are you okay?" asked the fireman "no I'm not" said Charlie "it was those stupid coaches I knew branch line coaches were no good to us engines" and then Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace bashed straight into him damaging him some more, poor Charlie. A near by cottage saw what happened and came down to help; they gave the passengers some water and allowed the driver to call the fat controller.

The fat controller was about to eat his chocolate covered jelly and creamed filled donut when the phone rang "oh what now?" he answered the phone "hello, yes, what! I'll send help" he then hanged up and went back to his donut "after lunch".

The passengers were yelling at the coaches sternly but the coaches were being rude and ignoring them but then Percy showed up with a breakdown crane to lift Charlie back on the rails, the fat controller was on Percy and when the mess was cleaned up he asked what happened "those horrid things" said Charlie trying to be the victim "they pushed me off the rails for no reason" the fat controller turned to the coaches "is this true?" he asked but the coaches totally ignored him and he felt very disrespected. "Well then I'll just have to shut you up in the sidings then" said the fat controller "BUT HE MADE RUDE REMARKS TO US" yelled out Mirgrace and everyone was very surprised "HE SAID WE WERE OLD USELESS BRANCH LINE COACHES" she yelled out even louder then everyone looked at Charlie and he found this very uncomfortable with everyone staring at him so he looked down shamefully, "Charlie" said the fat controller "Is this true?" "I might have said something" he said mournfully. "Well then. Now you coaches, you think you can just push your engine off the tracks and think everything is over and done with, you need to apologise to Charlie and the passengers" but the coaches said nothing, they just stood their like a statue "fine if you can't apologise I guess I'll just shut you up in the coach sidings just to show you a thing or too" Charlie just sniggered under his breath "AND YOU, YOU CAUSED ALL THIS MESS, I RENTED YOU TO HELP, BUT YOU CAUSED NOTHING BUT TROUBLE" yelled the fat controller a vein appeared on the top of his head, Charlie knew not to annoy him now, he was very annoyed as he is and didn't want to make him more angry. "I'll have to send you back while you three are left in the siding thinking about what you've done" now Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace looked sad.

Later when the coaches were shunted back at the shed, Charlie left the railway to go back home "good riddance" Isabella murmured under her breath hoping no one would hear. "When you are good" said the fat controller "I'll consider letting you out do you understand?" the coaches did. The next day Smokey Joe came back and was hoping for a good long run with Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace but when he found out he was extremely disappointed.

**Tipple Topple**

Smokey Joe stood disappointed in a shed, his coaches Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace were shut up in the sidings for being naughty. He was also upset because he didn't have any work. The fat controller showed up, "Ahh Smokey Joe, since your coaches are being punished I'll have to assign you with different work. You'll have to work with Duck and Oliver on the little western."

So Smokey Joe went to the little western and was shy at first but soon got to know Duck, Donald and Douglas but Oliver had second thoughts about him. "He's not a proper engine" "ach, watcha meen laddie?" asked Donald "He's a shunting engine; his job is to shunt trains for bigger engines to take" said Oliver he had a tiring day, the trucks were being naughty and the coaches didn't say a word "Hes juss gettin' to know ev'ryone," Douglas said "and also Oliver, just because he's old and he's a shunting engine doesn't mean he isn't reliable" Duck said but Oliver just snuffed at that remark and on cue Smokey Joe came rolling in in his cheery way "I just met some very tiny engines," said Joe "they were nothing I've ever seen" the tiny engines he was talking about was Rex, Bert and Mike of the Arlesdale railway, but he didn't know this yet.

"Ahh Smokey Joe, how about you come over here?" Duck said in his friendly way, Joe was pleased at this and came over immediately and sat right next to Oliver, this made Oliver annoyed.

"So Joe" Donald started "what did you use' to do b'fore you came here?"

"Well I used to be a shunting engine" "and you still are" Oliver interrupted rudely, "you've been a shunting engine and you'll die a shunting engine" Smokey Joe was offended, Duck, Donald and Douglas were shocked and Oliver left the sheds.

The next day Oliver was working in the coal depot, the foreman showed Oliver the coal tipper, and this device would lift up a coal truck and tip it over and unload the truck. "Don't go over it until the all clear is given" said the foreman and he walked away; Oliver took those words seriously and didn't go over the coal tipper all day.

The day was almost over and Oliver was resting in the sidings as the foreman showed up, "Oliver collect those coal trucks" Oliver saw the trucks, they were on the other side of the coal tipper.

"Sir is it safe to go over the coal tipper?" asked Oliver "well I guess so, as long you don't stay on the tipper for a period of time your safe" said the foreman. Oliver then marched over to the trucks and buffered up to the trucks but he stopped on the tipper, before he knew where he was he was lifted up off the ground and into the coal hopper, he was also not secured to the tipper and if he was tipped over he would fall but Smokey Joe who was nearby saw this and ran and told the manager the manager ordered that the coal tipper to be turned off, it did so and luckily Oliver wasn't tipped over.

"Thank you sir." said Oliver all shaken "Don't thank me." Said the manager "thank Smokey Joe, he told us." Oliver looked at Smokey Joe and was embarrassed but thankful "Thank you Joe and I'm sorry that I said that stuff to you." "That's okay Oliver we all get everyone's trains anyway and besides, you were getting my train as well ha ha ha"

After Oliver heard that I know he'll be more respectable don't you?

**Break van troubles**

Smokey Joe watched as Henry puffed away with a goods load and saw he didn't have a breakvan.

"Why doesn't Henry have to take a breakvan?" Smokey Joe asked

"Because his trucks have automatic breaks if they break away and roll down a hill they stop automatically" said his driver

"Maybe I can take the trucks without a break van"

"That's not a good idea," his driver said, "someone could get hurt"

But Smokey Joe still thought about the subject and the next day Eliza, Isabella and Mirgrace were sent out of their sidings they were pleased to see Smokey Joe again and they had a run immediately.

Smokey Joe had to take a light load the next day, everything was ready but before they could couple the breakvan on the train Smokey Joe started leaving the workmen startled.

Smokey Joes run was perfect so far, the trucks of course had other ideas, as they got to a hill they pushed Smokey Joe, Joe pinned on his breaks and the sudden jolt broke a coupling and the trucks were rolling down the hill at fantastic speed and because there was no breakvan nothing was stopping them.

The driver ran to the nearest phone box and phone box and phoned the signal man to change the points but it was too late, the trucks rocketed past the signal box before the signal man could change the points. The trucks sped past some other engines before hitting a pair of buffers stopping them. Smokey Joe soon arrived at the scene and felt ashamed, not only did he let the railway down; he let himself down as well.

Later that night Smokey Joe was in the sheds feeling sorry for himself, "Maybe coming out of the sidings wasn't such a good idea after all" he said to himself sadly, then the fat controller showed up, "Smokey Joe, you have caused confusion and delay, but you are new to this kind of work so I'm gonna let you off with a warning" then he drove away.

Smokey Joe now does his jobs very well and hasn't had an accident since, just goes to show you that a little engine can make a difference in the world


	4. Dave Comes Home

**Dave comes home**

Dave was lifted up by a crane and back on the tracks; all the trams were watching and dinging their bells welcoming Dave back to the metropolis city. Dave felt special; He had never had an ovation like this before.

Later Dave was in the workshop getting ready for his run tomorrow when Mr. Reginald, the manager spoke to him, "Dave, it's good to have you back."

"It's great to be back sir," said Dave

"Tomorrow you can start work; the mayor wants you to work your hardest."

"I will," said Dave and the manager walked away. Alastair rolled up beside Dave, "It's great to have you back" said Alastair

"It's great to be back," said Dave, "I like how the tracks reflect the suns raze."

"Yeah, while you were gone some workmen came and cleaned our tracks; I can't remember the tracks being this cleaned ever."

"Well it sounds like everything was good when I was gone."

"Well not really," said Alastair, "you see while you were gone we had someone replace you, his name is Zeus, he is huge, he has 5 stalls attached to him. He comes over rumbling through and saying how big and strong he is he keeps us up all night." Dave was speechless, and then came a rumble, the earth shook and then a huge Tram engine came thundering over. "So you're the legendry Dave I've heard so much about." Said the tram in a very low voice

"And you must be Zeus I assume." Dave said while inspecting the engine.

Alastair was right he was huge, everything Alastair described about him was correct. Zeus spoke again. "I came here to replace you, because I can go twice your speed in perfect safety, I can carry more passengers than you and I can do sharp turns without falling over." Dave wasn't impressed, "you haven't been here long have you?" Dave asked but Zeus didn't answer. "Because," Dave went on, "any tram here knows you don't go fast here, the sharp turns can derail you."

But Zeus wasn't impressed; "well a small tram like you would derail, but I've done sharp turns all the time and I haven't derailed" "even on the bridges?" "EVEN on the bridges." Zeus had never been on the bridges that elevated you off the roads but that didn't concern him, he just rolled into the work shop and nothing more was said.

**Road or Rails**

The next day Dave was getting inspected for bugs while Zeus was getting fixed for his run today. The Manager showed up. "Everyone I got your schedule today, Alastair, you'll be taking the down town route, Dave you have the Late night shift, Paul you'll be taking the city route and Zeus you have the main line route. I expect good work from you today." And he left.

Zeus was pleased, he was getting the all day route but Dave was concerned, "The main line route has the bridges, you should show down there," but Zeus wasn't listening he just rolled away to start his day.

The first station was on a bridge, Zeus sped up just to get up the bridge, he saw the first station around a corner, Zeus went faster and faster.

Dave was waiting at the workshop, his inspection was complete and he didn't have anything wrong with him, then the manager walked up. "Dave, Zeus has had an accident; he is now off the rails and on the road, I want you to rescue him." Dave rolled away and when he got to the scene of the accident, he could only laugh. Their was Zeus blocking traffic and perched on the road feeling very silly. "Who is this?" Dave asked his driver, "its Zeus didn't you know?"

"It doesn't look like Zeus; Zeus can go around sharp turns with out derailing." Zeus looked down feeling very sorry for himself.

When Zeus was put back on the rails, Dave, Alastair and Paul pushed him back to the workshop because he was so heavy. The manager had some stern words for Zeus. "YOU STUPID TRAM, YOU'RE SO LUCKY YOU WEREN'T CARRYING ANY PASSENGERS. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN WE'LL LEAVE YOU HERE, AND YOU'LL NEVER TAKE PASSENGERS AROUND THIS CITY AGAIN!!!"

Zeus was fortunate to have been repaired, he is now a sadder and a wiser tram, he never tries to go fast now. If you ask me, it serves him right.

**Marqus breaks the law**

If you were to take a tram just outside of the metropolis city, you'll see some tram tracks and a few stations, you'll may also find a small tram taking passengers to a drop off station.

His name is Marqus he has 2 stalls and is young and full of his own ideas, Alastair picks up his passengers from Marqus' drop off. "Passengers are passengers" Alastair would say to Marqus, "Not trucks treat them with respect." But Marqus didn't listen he was thinking about getting back to the depot.

The next day their were fewer passengers but he didn't mind, but as the days went by, fewer and fewer passengers he then started to worry.

One night Marqus told the trams about the passengers disappearing.

"It's the new Buses" said Paul, "they came here a few days ago and our passengers have been taking then instead of us because they say their more reliable."

Marqus was upset, "Does this mean we're going out of business?"

"No" Said Alastair, "it's just the buses say their more reliable, it's even in their slogan." Alastair referred to the billboard outside which said "Metro bus ways, we're more reliable than Trains."

The next day, the manager arrived, "Trams we have got to work faster, usual jobs today but I want everyone to work harder to beat those Buses" and he walked away.

Later that day Marqus met one of the buses, he was a single Decker bus, he was square looking and like a tram had two sections. "So you're one of those trams I've heard so much about."

"And your one of those trams I've heard as well." The bus said, he didn't sound friendly, only grouchy. Marqus Scowled at the bus, the bus returned the favour and scowled back at him, "you're stealing our passengers and we want them back!" Marqus said in a demanding voice, the bus only laughed, "why do you think I'll do that? We are revolutionary, we are the wave of the future, and we are the new generation." The bus finished. Marqus then did something that he would regret, "I challenge you to a race!" he said.

Trams on public roadways, are vehicles, like cars, they have stop lights and speed limits like cars, so their not allowed to speed, and all that Marqus of course knew this, but he was so caught up in the moment that it slipped his mind. The light went green, Marqus shot out of the station along with the bus, Marqus tried to go fast but the driver prevented him. "Slow down, you don't wanna get pulled over by the cops." But Marqus didn't listen, he saw the bus go straight past him, Marqus was trying hard to go faster but their were stations at every turn and when Marqus thought he could speed up their was always a station preventing him.

This went on and on until Marqus got to the drop off station and when all the passengers got off, Marqus shot out of the drop off station and went coasting down the line, he eventually caught up to the bus and sped up, he went past the speed limit and went past the bus, he was going 80 in a 60 zone, then he came upon some traffic lights, he slammed on his breaks but it was to late, he went though a red light and stop right in the middle of the intersection. The bus saw this and turned where road left rail, he laughed at Marqus' failure. Evidently a police car showed up, he booked Marqus on Speeding and running a red light.

That night at the depot, all the trams were making fun of Marqus. "Law breakers need to go behind bars" said a voice, "they need to be locked up" said another voice. Marqus felt ashamed he spent the rest of the next day in the depot.

**Making up**

Marqus had broke the law, he spent the rest of the day in the depot, a replacement tram took his runs, this tram was named Richard, he had 4 sections, his cab, two small attachments and the end bit. He was the same colour as everyone else, silver with red lines. One day he couldn't work, he has a bug in his system and couldn't do Marqus' runs.

"We need a replacement for Richard." Said the Depot manager, the only tram was Marqus, but Mr Reginald didn't trust him.

"No!" he said, "I can't risk getting another ticket." Then Marqus said in a hoarse voice, "I'll be able to do it sir, I understand that speeding is wrong and I will do my best to make up for my mistake" the Manager pondered for a moment, and walked away.

Some time later he came back to Marqus, "I've decided to let you out, ONLY if you promise to be good." Marqus agreed and for the first time in a long time he left the depot.

Marqus worked harder than anyone, he let people off at the drop off station and in between, but during his run he saw the same bus that made him break the law. "Just ignore him." Said his Driver, "He won't acknowledge your existence of you don't acknowledge his." Marqus didn't know what the word 'Acknowledge' meant but he ignored him. Then the bus said "Well if it isn't the little Law breaker" said the bus but Marqus ignored him

"Aren't you gonna challenge me to a race?" but Marqus just ignored him, then the Bus swerved sideways and hit Marqus' side on purpose. Marqus didn't ignore that; he couldn't hit him back because he was fixed to the rails. The bus turned away like a coward and ran away.

At the next station, Marqus' driver reported this to a policeman.

"Hmm, this is bad. Do you know who owned that bus?" the policeman asked, the driver told him. "I'll go and confront the owner of that bus depot then." And he left.

That night at the depot, Marqus was talking about what happened to the other trams until Mr Reginald showed up. "Marqus the incident that happened with you and the bus had been taken care of." Said the Manager, Marqus wondered how he knew about the bus hitting him. "As a reward you can work in the city and stop working outside of the city."

"But sir, what happened to the bus?" asked a voice. "You don't have to worry about him, the police say the buses rude attitude that the Metro bus ways in officially closed." Then their was a loud chorus of cheers and bells. They can work again.


End file.
